Slowly Goes The Night

Zarko · 06-21-2009, 03:16 AM

Sauna: Um, Dois, Tres - São Paulo Underground (2006)

GENRES – Jazz, Electronic, Experimental

Tracks
Sauna: Um, Dios, Três – 5:59
Pombaral – 9:30
Realm of the Ripper – 4:19
Olhosss... – 7:59
Afrihouse – 7:07
Black Liquor – 2:50
Balão de Gás – 6:59
Numa Grana – 5:00

More jazzy goodness, the São Paulo Underground debut album is a heavy mix of jazz and electronics, full of electric grooves and beats. The project was started by Rob Muzarek, whom I have introduced to the site prior with the monthly competitions (He headed Chicago Underground). However, this time around he finds himself influenced but the Brazillian scene (Obvious by the title) with a hint of post rock vibes every now and then. However, it is still primarily an electronics and jazz albums. It doesn’t hold a nu jazz vibe or continuity IMO, which is why I hesitate to label it as such.

The album begins with the title track, introducing the listener auspiciously to the electronic aspects that will litter the rest of the album. Glitched out beats that almost sound melodic, as well as general conversation tid bits layer the beginning, before other instruments slowly enter the track, beginning with a deep and laden guitar line, followed by a cornet, sax, drums and other such percussion. These instruments don’t really follow any lead, rather just doing their own thing. It’s fairly typical free jazz, with the electronics taking a backseat for now until it is used to draw everything together. The electronics later in the track actually improve the track in my opinion, as the free jazz gets a bit boring. By the end the electronics is the overarching instrument as it exudes a fairly simple yet distinct beat. The other instruments are phased out until this beat is the only thing remaining.

Pombaral is sued to showcase the talents of the respective musicians in its first half. Beginning with a trumpet solo before the drums and bass kick in. The best way to describe the track is ‘busy’, probably representative of the city in the title. It captures an almost afrobeat sound, with a tinge of latinesque vibes. Although the result is nothing spectacular, there are some awesome sounds and variations here and there, especially the reverberating distortion on the instruments every now and then. In the middle of the track the electronics come into play, an ethereal ‘gloss’ which shares the space with the drums and some beats. The brass is haunting, almost sounding like it is being played through a thick glass wall. The dubbed wall of sound has some pretty interesting aspects, and I love the way everything is held together in those minutes. After these minutes the upbeat and content sound is replaced by a morose and dark electronics burdened section. The beats just get louder before the main dirt is removed, and only feedback remains, which reintroduces the instrumentation to the track.

Realm Of The Ripper has yet another interesting beginning, a random assortment of electronically made sounds and an electric organ creating a mischievous and wicked vibe. It’s a pretty cool start to the track in my opinion. Various percussion is brought in to create some more depth, and the variation just adds to the interest. It’s probably the most experimental sort of this so far, without really feeling my jazz, but that doesn’t mean its bad. I quite like it, but it’s not for everyone, and this continues for 4 minutes.

Olhosss recaptures the heavy ethereal theme that was in Pombaral, however its intensity is increased, as well as the vibe now being positive in nature. Primarily drum/electronic driven, the post rock background of Takara and Mazurek shines through. This shatters slightly with the introduction of more glitchy beats and tripped out a tripped out brass section. It’s a great change, and sometimes you have to question whether it really is a cornet being played, however it does carry on for a bit though.

Afrihouse is a top notch track, controlled by deep bassy drumming and various other percussion, ranging from latin to afrobeat sounds. Mazurek lets the beats progress at nice intervals without forcing anything to take off. The end of the track is definitely a weird one though… The volume is slowly lowered to leave a psychedelic fog of noise before the drums are hit hard in a out of place attack of noise. Still, a nice track overall. Black Liquor is more out of place music, with a downtrodden trip hop beat leading the way, which doesn’t fit in the album at all really. It isn’t bad perse; it’s just out of the blue. However, it only goes for 2:50, so it’s not like it’s a long and grinding song. Some of the sounds and beats created therein are quite interesting though, as we tread through what reminds me of a dark carnival.

Balao De Gas carries over the base from the previous track before moving onto its own, a higher tempo beat with more Brazilian influences obvious. The drumming in particular is a nice change, using traditional Brazilian jazz percussion and constructs. It’s all a bit same same throughout the song though, and I didn’t really love it, but it has its moments. The album ends with Numa Grana, 5 minutes of muffled talking with feedback throughout.

Sao Paulo Underground is a nice variation for Maruzek from his Chicago Underground, and I love the comparisons one can attempt to draw with essentially the same base but different influences. It uses afrobeat/latin/Brazilian sounds well, and although the electronics could be used a bit better, it doesn’t mean that they are a detriment to the album. However, there are some moments where it just doesn’t entertain.

7.3/10

– Sauna: Um, Dois, Tres
- Afrihouse

Piss Me Off · 06-22-2009, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zarko

Bumped Contemporary Noise Quintet up to a 9.0... They are just as good/fun listening to now as they were a month back.

I wholeheartedly agree!

Zarko · 06-09-2009, 08:42 AM

Nausea – Heroin And Your Veins (2009)

GENRES – Alternative Rock, Experimental

Part 1 - Midnight Music
1 Intoxication
2 The Trigger
3 The Lady

Part 2 - Death Sits Down
4 Murder Theme

Part 3 - Hangover and Rain
5 Fumes
6 Two Black Dogs
7 The Trainyard
8 A Hallucination

Part 4 - Red Pavement
9 The Chase
10 The Gutter

Hmmm finally back… Not for long probably, but something is better than nothing I guess. Heroin And Your Veins’ main contributor is Janne Perttula from Finland. The entire album is surrounded by a dark and enveloping aura, which is only perpetuated by the songs being split up into various groups… The sections aim to explore a lonely souls travels through a damp, sin-ridden town.

Intoxication begins with the sound of water falling into a puddle, and other assortments of sounds, which actually do make me think of a man sitting in a bar, chugging down drinks when it rains outside. The piece is driven by light electronic sounds, but primarily a calmed and almost psychedelic guitar riff. It is already reminiscent of Bohren Und Der Club of Gore, and this isn’t a bad thing. It does have a slight jazzy feeling, despite the absence of brass, however not as much as other such dark-jazz bands. The layers are interestingly done, although not incredibly deep. It just comes together well, and not meaning to be explosive or bombastic, it is just a nice chilled song, perfect for night times. The deep brassy sounds are nice towards the end of the track.

The Trigger carries the main sounds over from Intoxication, and is slightly more abrasive, with harsher snare sounds and a twangier guitar sound. It is almost like travelling music in the sense of the album as a whole. Despite everything sounding harsher, it still has an ethereal quality, as if not being played for the listener, but in general, behind a veil of fog. The Lady is as loud as the previous track but has a darker and seedy underbelly exposed, relying more on longer bassy guitar lines. The Electric organ is a nice touch, cutting in and out sporadically. After sounding finished it comes back with a nice finale, rawer and yet clearer than previously.

Murder Theme begins with a nice touch of crows cackling yet is difficult to discern. Light static noise welcomes an organ, initially undiscernible before it comes to the forefront of the track. Carrying a sombre tone, the opening of the track is reminiscent of funeral march songs. It is an interesting track in that the organ isn’t used sparingly, which is something most can’t say about music nowadays. The ‘evolution’ of how the guitar notes is also pretty nice early on. After about 5 minutes Jenna pulls out a saxophone, with dark and grinding notes reverberating outwards. This really makes the jazzy aspects of the albums tone stick out. It also has a film noir quality to it as a whole. Fumes’ sounds aren’t initially surrounded by a haze of ambient noise, as the bass twangs lead to the introduction of the organ and drums. It is slow and foreboding, perhaps due to their solitude, before a spacey mix comes out from no where to add some depth, representing a drug induced and tripped out state of mind. Everything is down tempo, as if awaiting the high to come.

Two Black Dogs is a down trodden, grimy piece with harsh and dirty notes. It is almost comical in its nature, light hearted despite being polluted. Almost like men getting up to no good, but from their perspective it is all a bit of fun (A Clockwork Orange style). The Trainyard follows suit, dark and gritty, painting the picture of an old abandoned train yard, full of decrepit vehicles and shadows at every turn, not quite being able to find your way through under the effects of alcohol and drugs.

A Hullucination is the amalgamation of similar themes and sounds presented elsewhere, in one of the better forms on the album. There is nothing new but that doesn’t mean its boring to revisit them. This is partially due to the fact that rather than sound like an album with distinct song, it is one long journey. It is quite easy to leave on, and not look at the play list and then be surprised when you realise you are through to song 5 already. It’s simply constructed, but it still delivers a punch in the right mood. The Chase is quite a late turning point, beginning with vigour, and carrying an air of violence. The new section ‘Red Pavement’ may be pointing to such violence and blood being spilled (just an interpretation) but it is a nice change nonetheless. At times it almost becomes dreamlike, with the intensity lifted and becomes light hearted, before returning to a state of panic and anger, perhaps representing the coming down from the previous high. It is probably my favourite track on the album.

The album ends with The Gutter, is a calm track which represents hitting rock bottom. It brings into the album an atmosphere of finality, fitting for the final track of the album. No new ground is broken but its still a pretty good wa to end the album.

It is hard to call this album special, purely because it isn’t. The ideas and sounds have all been explored, and probably better in their individuality elsewhere. However, in the right frame of mind, when you don’t feel like being attacked by noise, it is a pretty good ‘drug’. It carries itself well with a feeling of professionalism but also experimentalism. As I said, it reminds me of Bohren & Der Club of Gore, however, it represents an more rocky version of the band. Although there is minimal jazz ‘sounds’ overall, it still has that vibe overall.

8.0/10

The Lady
A Hallucination

These will be rare….

Zarko · 03-30-2009, 05:15 AM

Khmer – Nils Petter Molvær (1997)

GENRES - Jazz, Nujazz, Electronic, World

Tracks
Khmer – 4:59
Tlon – 7:53
Access/Song of Sand I – 5:51
On Stream – 5:01
Platonic Years – 6:34
Phum – 3:39
Song of Sand II – 6:12
Exit – 2:43

Well Norway just seems to be a bubble of talent at the moment… Nils Petter (Review upcoming) as well as a talented bunch including the likes of Eivind Aarset (Whom I introduced many of you to via the March Birthday competition on the general board), Trumpeter Arve Hendriksen and band Wibutee. All of these mentioned have been pushing some interesting boundaries concerning jazz and electronics especially.

Nils Petter offered up one of my favourite albums from the 90’s with the outing ‘Khmer’. Released in 1998, the album is an exploratory experimental amalgamation of raw jazz and various electronic styles, including house, dub and ambient. Molvaer’s distinctive style is beautiful throughout and offers a very interesting contrast to the back beats. The final result is a tasty morsel that should be sampled by anyone with a passing interest in jazz, nujazz, electronica, and music in general.

The title track ‘Khmer’ offer quite a bit of variety, reaching through its jazzy focus, as well as its electronic base, to some interesting world music samples. The light plucking of a string instrument, as well as the electronics and electric guitar are used to ‘symbolise’ some foreign aspects. The overall feel of the song is seemingly of Asian origin. This is most likely homage to the origin of the word ‘Khmer’, which was a civilisation near Cambodia which was most prominent in the early part of last millennium. The song is built around an Asian mood without every directly referencing so with instruments. Molvaer’s performance is stellar, initially succumbing to the sombre tone of the early parts of the song before breaking out to add his own touch and flair. It never loses its sombre nature or tone of respect.

Throughout the album Movaer displays his ability to convey different emotions though his brass instrument of choice. ‘Tlon’, starts off as a down tempo trip hop piece with Molvaer’s quiet and macabre trumpeting overlaying. Its beauty is in its ability to convey sadness and yet a sense of melancholy in the listener. As the beats increase, much like that of a beating heart, Molvaer’s speed increases along with it to an all out attack. The electronic aspects become more prominent, and yet never detract from the power of Molvaer’s trumpeting, as he pulls out some lovely ‘latinesque’ moments. There is quite an fascinating interruption to both the electronics and trumpeting as Aarset (Who was one of the back up players for the album) has a raw yet satisfying solo. As the song reaches its end, it’s almost a fight between the two styles as to who ‘owns’ the piece. It’s a lovely way to end the song.

‘Access/Song of Sand I’ immediately sets a dark approach, as the song seems deeper in pitch compared to the first two songs. Individual instruments are easier to pick out, trumpeting, drumming, guitarists, other various wind instruments, and the song truly belongs to them. Some marvellous tonal work makes this a true highlight track, as well as Aarset’s interesting and raw work. Molvaer spends a large percentage of the time adding nice depth to the piece but never truly grabs hold of the song himself. The piece is exquisite, and definitely deserves a listen.

The next track, ‘On Stream’, offers a more down tempo ‘earthy’ feeling, most akin to the title track. Molvaer’s performance is especially worthy of attention, as his slow and unrefined performance makes the piece truly memorable. He takes centre stage and the song is only better for it. It’s a hard song to describe; everything simply fits in well to add to the overall nature of the song and earthy and worldly feel. The song only gets better as it goes along.

‘Platonic Years’ continues the tempo of the previous track with the instruments; however, the piece has a great input from the electronic side of things. This makes the piece feel more spacey rather than earthy. There are quite a few nice touches here and there, such as the electric guitar picking working in conjunction with the tribal drumming. The occasional sampling of a drop falling into a body of water, and other such samples all add a nice level of depth to the song overall. For the first time on the album Molvaer’s trumpets sound distorted from the electronics, which add an interesting and nice quality to them. The songs pace picks up in the second half, making the piece even more upbeat compared to previous ones. Overall it is quite a pleasant song, and the spacey feeling offers something different to that which has been displayed on the album already, a good change in direction.

‘Phum’ is a minimalist piece on the album, consisting mainly of Molvaer’s playing and some interesting background beats. The piece is once again used to showcase Molvaer, and offers up a clean performance, riddled with interruptions from background sounds and samples, including a foreboding repetitive pair of sticks being banged together, as well as some new string aspects. The nature of the song is quite different from much of the album, as it avoids bombarding you with obvious noises and samples. Quite the dark and almost ‘scary’ track, it is definitely worth checking out in the middle of the album.

‘Song of Sand II’ is a continuation of the first SOS, and it opens with a very interesting use of glitch and Molvaer’s trumpet, almost trying to exasperate the sound of his trumpet while barely blowing any air through it. The piece is quite reminiscent of the first, for obvious reasons, but it is still a quality track. It just depends on how much you want to listen to a similar song again. The backing instruments and electronics are particularly nice and evident after a few songs without that depth. Molvaer also gets a few interesting sounds out of his trumpet, ones I wouldn’t normally expect.

‘Exit’ does what the name suggests. A nice ending to the album, it is minimal and offers just the bare minimum of what made the album special. Not entirely bombarding on the senses, it is a nice down tempo exit after the highs already experienced.

As I already mentioned, this was one of my favourite albums of the 90’s. It offers an interesting blend of jazz and electronics and world music, and was certainly a unique experience when I first listened to it. It was one of the first nujazz experiments for me and it is probably still my favourite. The group of musicians is simply brimming with talent, and deserves ample recognition for their performances.

TOTAL SCORE

9.2/10

– On Stream
- Khmer
– Song of Sand I

OccultHawk · 04-09-2018, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zarko

Khmer – Nils Petter Molvær (1997)

GENRES - Jazz, Nujazz, Electronic, World

Tracks
Khmer – 4:59
Tlon – 7:53
Access/Song of Sand I – 5:51
On Stream – 5:01
Platonic Years – 6:34
Phum – 3:39
Song of Sand II – 6:12
Exit – 2:43

Well Norway just seems to be a bubble of talent at the moment… Nils Petter (Review upcoming) as well as a talented bunch including the likes of Eivind Aarset (Whom I introduced many of you to via the March Birthday competition on the general board), Trumpeter Arve Hendriksen and band Wibutee. All of these mentioned have been pushing some interesting boundaries concerning jazz and electronics especially.

Nils Petter offered up one of my favourite albums from the 90’s with the outing ‘Khmer’. Released in 1998, the album is an exploratory experimental amalgamation of raw jazz and various electronic styles, including house, dub and ambient. Molvaer’s distinctive style is beautiful throughout and ohffers a very interesting contrast to the back beats. The final result is a tasty morsel that should be sampled by anyone with a passing interest in jazz, nujazz, electronica, and music in general.

The title track ‘Khmer’ offer quite a bit of variety, reaching through its jazzy focus, as well as its electronic base, to some interesting world music samples. The light plucking of a string instrument, as well as the electronics and electric guitar are used to ‘symbolise’ some foreign aspects. The overall feel of the song is seemingly of Asian origin. This is most likely homage to the origin of the word ‘Khmer’, which was a civilisation near Cambodia which was most prominent in the early part of last millennium. The song is built around an Asian mood without every directly referencing so with instruments. Molvaer’s performance is stellar, initially succumbing to the sombre tone of the early parts of the song before breaking out to add his own touch and flair. It never loses its sombre nature or tone of respect.

Throughout the album Movaer displays his ability to convey different emotions though his brass instrument of choice. ‘Tlon’, starts off as a down tempo trip hop piece with Molvaer’s quiet and macabre trumpeting overlaying. Its beauty is in its ability to convey sadness and yet a sense of melancholy in the listener. As the beats increase, much like that of a beating heart, Molvaer’s speed increases along with it to an all out attack. The electronic aspects become more prominent, and yet never detract from the power of Molvaer’s trumpeting, as he pulls out some lovely ‘latinesque’ moments. There is quite an fascinating interruption to both the electronics and trumpeting as Aarset (Who was one of the back up players for the album) has a raw yet satisfying solo. As the song reaches its end, it’s almost a fight between the two styles as to who ‘owns’ the piece. It’s a lovely way to end the song.

‘Access/Song of Sand I’ immediately sets a dark approach, as the song seems deeper in pitch compared to the first two songs. Individual instruments are easier to pick out, trumpeting, drumming, guitarists, other various wind instruments, and the song truly belongs to them. Some marvellous tonal work makes this a true highlight track, as well as Aarset’s interesting and raw work. Molvaer spends a large percentage of the time adding nice depth to the piece but never truly grabs hold of the song himself. The piece is exquisite, and definitely deserves a listen.

The next track, ‘On Stream’, offers a more down tempo ‘earthy’ feeling, most akin to the title track. Molvaer’s performance is especially worthy of attention, as his slow and unrefined performance makes the piece truly memorable. He takes centre stage and the song is only better for it. It’s a hard song to describe; everything simply fits in well to add to the overall nature of the song and earthy and worldly feel. The song only gets better as it goes along.

‘Platonic Years’ continues the tempo of the previous track with the instruments; however, the piece has a great input from the electronic side of things. This makes the piece feel more spacey rather than earthy. There are quite a few nice touches here and there, such as the electric guitar picking working in conjunction with the tribal drumming. The occasional sampling of a drop falling into a body of water, and other such samples all add a nice level of depth to the song overall. For the first time on the album Molvaer’s trumpets sound distorted from the electronics, which add an interesting and nice quality to them. The songs pace picks up in the second half, making the piece even more upbeat compared to previous ones. Overall it is quite a pleasant song, and the spacey feeling offers something different to that which has been displayed on the album already, a good change in direction.

‘Phum’ is a minimalist piece on the album, consisting mainly of Molvaer’s playing and some interesting background beats. The piece is once again used to showcase Molvaer, and offers up a clean performance, riddled with interruptions from background sounds and samples, including a foreboding repetitive pair of sticks being banged together, as well as some new string aspects. The nature of the song is quite different from much of the album, as it avoids bombarding you with obvious noises and samples. Quite the dark and almost ‘scary’ track, it is definitely worth checking out in the middle of the album.

‘Song of Sand II’ is a continuation of the first SOS, and it opens with a very interesting use of glitch and Molvaer’s trumpet, almost trying to exasperate the sound of his trumpet while barely blowing any air through it. The piece is quite reminiscent of the first, for obvious reasons, but it is still a quality track. It just depends on how much you want to listen to a similar song again. The backing instruments and electronics are particularly nice and evident after a few songs without that depth. Molvaer also gets a few interesting sounds out of his trumpet, ones I wouldn’t normally expect.

‘Exit’ does what the name suggests. A nice ending to the album, it is minimal and offers just the bare minimum of what made the album special. Not entirely bombarding on the senses, it is a nice down tempo exit after the highs already experienced.

As I already mentioned, this was one of my favourite albums of the 90’s. It offers an interesting blend of jazz and electronics and world music, and was certainly a unique experience when I first listened to it. It was one of the first nujazz experiments for me and it is probably still my favourite. The group of musicians is simply brimming with talent, and deserves ample recognition for their performances.

TOTAL SCORE

9.2/10

– On Stream
- Khmer
– Song of Sand I

Bump

Someone bring this guy back!

SATCHMO · 07-22-2009, 04:40 AM

Man, Zarko, I have been missing out by not baying attention to this thread. Great reviews. Keep it up!

Zarko · 07-22-2009, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SATCHMO

Man, Zarko, I have been missing out by not baying attention to this thread. Great reviews. Keep it up!

Thanks Satch

Enjoy. Need any ups, just give me a call.

Fruitonica · 07-22-2009, 06:51 AM

The Onra review was intriguing, especially coupled with the first two videos. They were seriously catchy.

Just to encourage you, I really enjoy this thread even if I don't post much.

Zarko · 07-23-2009, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fruitonica

The Onra review was intriguing, especially coupled with the first two videos. They were seriously catchy.

Just to encourage you, I really enjoy this thread even if I don't post much.

Thanks Fruitonica. I don't really expect posts nowadays, as long as someone enjoys them I'm happy though

Zarko · 07-23-2009, 07:29 AM

Faces – Stendeck (2007)

GENRES – Electronic, Power Noise

Tracks
The Day I Saw You Cry For The First Time - 5:15
Beneath Wonderland's Decay - 4:24
Like Falling Crystals - 3:33
Anywhere Out Of This World - 4:50
A Perfect Place To Say Good-Bye - 1:42
Acting Like You Are Not Bleeding - 4:07
Behind Waterfalls - 4:46
The Woman Who Burnt On Her Bed - 5:53
She Watched The Corners Of The Roof And Then She Left - 1:35
Steal Flowers To Make Drugs - 5:25
Nocturnal Manoeuvres Before Dawn - 4:36
The Massacre Of The Black Flying Horses - 3:08
The Porcelain And The Girl I Dreamt About - 1:21
Aura Borealis, The Extraordinary Adventure Of A Boy Against The Infinite Darkness - 3:26
All The Things I Wanted To Tell You But I Didn't - 4:35
Frames And Teardrops - 2:13
Faces (Where Are You Now?) - 4:19

I don’t understand the notion of making song titles ridiculously long. I mean, is your song really special enough to piss me off THAT much? Also, I bloody hate the term ‘IDM’. It’s just a stupid description that doesn’t help identify the music to any degree beyond sounding like dance music for stuck up people. But for lack of better term, Stendeck is my favourite ‘IDM artist’. With his most recent release finding its way into my collection, I thought I may as well go back to this 07 album, which is always ready for a go around in my stereo. The album manages to beautifully encapsulate ambiance with an intense power noise and electronic sound, which is no mean feat. (BTW I will try to move off electronic stuff for the next batch). It is also pretty good due to the fact that from a personal perspective, nothing feels laboured or too long. The songs know there limit (Though 17 tracks may be a bit much). Trust me, everything is better loud.

‘The Day…’ starts from a lull, flat note emerging from the horizon, slight disturbances breaking the clean beat occasionally. The type of power noise the listener will experience is introduced fairly quickly into the album, as the speed of the song slowly increases. It carries a distinct space-y sound, an atmosphere of unknowing and exploration. The beats get whipped out at a nice pace, offset partially by a constant and long drone in the background, and quickly the song has ended, almost feeling as if it had never gotten into its true rhythm. ‘Beneath Wonderland’s Decay’ is a bit more paced in its attack, calmed and collective, a guitar riff creating the basic undertone of the song. The song has a nice dirty/eerie quality to it, representing the ambiance I suggested was present in the introduction. The beats pulsate from the depths, the the intense frequency he chucks on every now and then and be a bitch on the ears.

‘Like Falling Crystals’ picks up the pace a bit, offering a robotic sound to the canvas, before having a cliché ‘ethereal’ break mid song. It’s a nice touch, but it’s done so often. ‘Anywhere Out…’ begins with a downtrodden, almost hip hop beat. It was during this song where I initially truly marveled at the balance Stendeck created. Most would hardly connect something even associated with Power Noise with a solid ambient texture, but on Faces, he really does pull it off greatly. One minute you can be lulled into a dream like state, in the next you can have your foot tapping energetically, without too much changing music-wise. ‘A Perfect…’ is lead by a clean piano solo, with haunting textures floating around the track, in a simple elegant touch, the variation in style is quite different to what else had been offered, but still feels like it slots in perfectly.

‘Acting Like…’ has an interesting transition of beat style. The basic beat doesn’t change much over the course of the early parts of the track, but the synths used elicit various sounds that mix things up a bit, from one extreme to another, before lightening up in a sparse (For this album) solo section. ‘Behind Waterfalls’ has some of the more interesting mixes behind the face of the track, a luminous veil. ‘The Woman…’ follows vein of most of the longer songs, giving a bit of leeway before the base of the song kicks in, in another trip hoppy sound, with a dirty, glitchy sound dominating. The song manages to have the most single layered sections out of all the songs so far, though I do find the ‘punch’ beat to be a bit annoying, the floating pings are pretty solid before it once again kicks into a trip hop groove. The pace and beats entering the second half of the track are marvelous. ‘She Watched…’ is a nice, short, pulsating interlude. ‘Steal Flowers…’ is full of grit and unattached sounds and styles. Nothing quite sounds like its in the right spot, but at the same time, it all works, before having a psychedelic guitar provide the baseline. The song keeps you waiting to take off, never quite reaching its bombastic possibilities, but this doesn’t mean it isn’t a nice track.

‘Nocturnal Manoeuvres…’ reminds me of the dark and mournful songs that are popular in war movies when a protagonist is lying in the middle of the battlefield, dying, with the sounds of war reverberating around him, before it breaks into its key beat. It has some really interesting tones and pitches mixed throughout, and the variation and distortion used is pretty solid throughout. ‘The Massacre…’ uses a whole lot of hollow/echo sounds to kick things out, which get an appealing beat going to create an oppressed atmosphere. It’s almost perfect ‘dark alleyway’ music in its initial stages, and the danger is upon you far too quickly for you to react. ‘The Porcelain…’ is another, almost classical track similar to ‘A Perfect…’. ‘Aura Borealis…’ is another fascinating track, the pulsating sounds a particular highlight early on.

‘All The Things…’ is probably the hardest hitting track from the outset, in regards to both noise and pace, probably making its way into my favourites for that reason (Let alone the awesome beats) before it half lightens to let some instrumentation through. It’s got a pretty different construct to it compared to most of the other tracks on the album, with the violent and coarse beats at their best. ‘Frames And Teardrops’ is another fast paced track with some less harsh beats, using a lot of intense wave sounds. At only roughly 2 minutes, it’s a perfect treat. The album is sent off with the title track, ‘Faces’, offering a reflective and calm look on the last hour, a great send off.

Though the individual songs don’t offer the same feeling, the album in it’s entirety can sometimes feel labouring, reaching over an hour, but it is never a bad feeling when a new song comes up. Again, I don’t like the term IDM, and Stendeck can go fuck himself for making such ridiculously long song titles, but the journey is purely awesome. Best ‘IDM’ artist IMO, and one of the better electronic albums released in the last few years.

8.6/10

– The Day I Saw You blah blah blah…
– Behind Waterfalls

06-09-2009, 08:42 AM	#3 (permalink)
Zarko Barely Disheveled Zombie Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 1,196	Nausea – Heroin And Your Veins (2009) GENRES – Alternative Rock, Experimental Part 1 - Midnight Music 1 Intoxication 2 The Trigger 3 The Lady Part 2 - Death Sits Down 4 Murder Theme Part 3 - Hangover and Rain 5 Fumes 6 Two Black Dogs 7 The Trainyard 8 A Hallucination Part 4 - Red Pavement 9 The Chase 10 The Gutter Hmmm finally back… Not for long probably, but something is better than nothing I guess. Heroin And Your Veins’ main contributor is Janne Perttula from Finland. The entire album is surrounded by a dark and enveloping aura, which is only perpetuated by the songs being split up into various groups… The sections aim to explore a lonely souls travels through a damp, sin-ridden town. Intoxication begins with the sound of water falling into a puddle, and other assortments of sounds, which actually do make me think of a man sitting in a bar, chugging down drinks when it rains outside. The piece is driven by light electronic sounds, but primarily a calmed and almost psychedelic guitar riff. It is already reminiscent of Bohren Und Der Club of Gore, and this isn’t a bad thing. It does have a slight jazzy feeling, despite the absence of brass, however not as much as other such dark-jazz bands. The layers are interestingly done, although not incredibly deep. It just comes together well, and not meaning to be explosive or bombastic, it is just a nice chilled song, perfect for night times. The deep brassy sounds are nice towards the end of the track. The Trigger carries the main sounds over from Intoxication, and is slightly more abrasive, with harsher snare sounds and a twangier guitar sound. It is almost like travelling music in the sense of the album as a whole. Despite everything sounding harsher, it still has an ethereal quality, as if not being played for the listener, but in general, behind a veil of fog. The Lady is as loud as the previous track but has a darker and seedy underbelly exposed, relying more on longer bassy guitar lines. The Electric organ is a nice touch, cutting in and out sporadically. After sounding finished it comes back with a nice finale, rawer and yet clearer than previously. Murder Theme begins with a nice touch of crows cackling yet is difficult to discern. Light static noise welcomes an organ, initially undiscernible before it comes to the forefront of the track. Carrying a sombre tone, the opening of the track is reminiscent of funeral march songs. It is an interesting track in that the organ isn’t used sparingly, which is something most can’t say about music nowadays. The ‘evolution’ of how the guitar notes is also pretty nice early on. After about 5 minutes Jenna pulls out a saxophone, with dark and grinding notes reverberating outwards. This really makes the jazzy aspects of the albums tone stick out. It also has a film noir quality to it as a whole. Fumes’ sounds aren’t initially surrounded by a haze of ambient noise, as the bass twangs lead to the introduction of the organ and drums. It is slow and foreboding, perhaps due to their solitude, before a spacey mix comes out from no where to add some depth, representing a drug induced and tripped out state of mind. Everything is down tempo, as if awaiting the high to come. Two Black Dogs is a down trodden, grimy piece with harsh and dirty notes. It is almost comical in its nature, light hearted despite being polluted. Almost like men getting up to no good, but from their perspective it is all a bit of fun (A Clockwork Orange style). The Trainyard follows suit, dark and gritty, painting the picture of an old abandoned train yard, full of decrepit vehicles and shadows at every turn, not quite being able to find your way through under the effects of alcohol and drugs. A Hullucination is the amalgamation of similar themes and sounds presented elsewhere, in one of the better forms on the album. There is nothing new but that doesn’t mean its boring to revisit them. This is partially due to the fact that rather than sound like an album with distinct song, it is one long journey. It is quite easy to leave on, and not look at the play list and then be surprised when you realise you are through to song 5 already. It’s simply constructed, but it still delivers a punch in the right mood. The Chase is quite a late turning point, beginning with vigour, and carrying an air of violence. The new section ‘Red Pavement’ may be pointing to such violence and blood being spilled (just an interpretation) but it is a nice change nonetheless. At times it almost becomes dreamlike, with the intensity lifted and becomes light hearted, before returning to a state of panic and anger, perhaps representing the coming down from the previous high. It is probably my favourite track on the album. The album ends with The Gutter, is a calm track which represents hitting rock bottom. It brings into the album an atmosphere of finality, fitting for the final track of the album. No new ground is broken but its still a pretty good wa to end the album. It is hard to call this album special, purely because it isn’t. The ideas and sounds have all been explored, and probably better in their individuality elsewhere. However, in the right frame of mind, when you don’t feel like being attacked by noise, it is a pretty good ‘drug’. It carries itself well with a feeling of professionalism but also experimentalism. As I said, it reminds me of Bohren & Der Club of Gore, however, it represents an more rocky version of the band. Although there is minimal jazz ‘sounds’ overall, it still has that vibe overall. 8.0/10 The Lady A Hallucination These will be rare…. Last edited by Zarko; 09-18-2009 at 07:08 AM.

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06-21-2009, 03:16 AM	#1 (permalink)
Zarko Barely Disheveled Zombie Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 1,196	Sauna: Um, Dois, Tres - São Paulo Underground (2006) GENRES – Jazz, Electronic, Experimental Tracks Sauna: Um, Dios, Três – 5:59 Pombaral – 9:30 Realm of the Ripper – 4:19 Olhosss... – 7:59 Afrihouse – 7:07 Black Liquor – 2:50 Balão de Gás – 6:59 Numa Grana – 5:00 More jazzy goodness, the São Paulo Underground debut album is a heavy mix of jazz and electronics, full of electric grooves and beats. The project was started by Rob Muzarek, whom I have introduced to the site prior with the monthly competitions (He headed Chicago Underground). However, this time around he finds himself influenced but the Brazillian scene (Obvious by the title) with a hint of post rock vibes every now and then. However, it is still primarily an electronics and jazz albums. It doesn’t hold a nu jazz vibe or continuity IMO, which is why I hesitate to label it as such. The album begins with the title track, introducing the listener auspiciously to the electronic aspects that will litter the rest of the album. Glitched out beats that almost sound melodic, as well as general conversation tid bits layer the beginning, before other instruments slowly enter the track, beginning with a deep and laden guitar line, followed by a cornet, sax, drums and other such percussion. These instruments don’t really follow any lead, rather just doing their own thing. It’s fairly typical free jazz, with the electronics taking a backseat for now until it is used to draw everything together. The electronics later in the track actually improve the track in my opinion, as the free jazz gets a bit boring. By the end the electronics is the overarching instrument as it exudes a fairly simple yet distinct beat. The other instruments are phased out until this beat is the only thing remaining. Pombaral is sued to showcase the talents of the respective musicians in its first half. Beginning with a trumpet solo before the drums and bass kick in. The best way to describe the track is ‘busy’, probably representative of the city in the title. It captures an almost afrobeat sound, with a tinge of latinesque vibes. Although the result is nothing spectacular, there are some awesome sounds and variations here and there, especially the reverberating distortion on the instruments every now and then. In the middle of the track the electronics come into play, an ethereal ‘gloss’ which shares the space with the drums and some beats. The brass is haunting, almost sounding like it is being played through a thick glass wall. The dubbed wall of sound has some pretty interesting aspects, and I love the way everything is held together in those minutes. After these minutes the upbeat and content sound is replaced by a morose and dark electronics burdened section. The beats just get louder before the main dirt is removed, and only feedback remains, which reintroduces the instrumentation to the track. Realm Of The Ripper has yet another interesting beginning, a random assortment of electronically made sounds and an electric organ creating a mischievous and wicked vibe. It’s a pretty cool start to the track in my opinion. Various percussion is brought in to create some more depth, and the variation just adds to the interest. It’s probably the most experimental sort of this so far, without really feeling my jazz, but that doesn’t mean its bad. I quite like it, but it’s not for everyone, and this continues for 4 minutes. Olhosss recaptures the heavy ethereal theme that was in Pombaral, however its intensity is increased, as well as the vibe now being positive in nature. Primarily drum/electronic driven, the post rock background of Takara and Mazurek shines through. This shatters slightly with the introduction of more glitchy beats and tripped out a tripped out brass section. It’s a great change, and sometimes you have to question whether it really is a cornet being played, however it does carry on for a bit though. Afrihouse is a top notch track, controlled by deep bassy drumming and various other percussion, ranging from latin to afrobeat sounds. Mazurek lets the beats progress at nice intervals without forcing anything to take off. The end of the track is definitely a weird one though… The volume is slowly lowered to leave a psychedelic fog of noise before the drums are hit hard in a out of place attack of noise. Still, a nice track overall. Black Liquor is more out of place music, with a downtrodden trip hop beat leading the way, which doesn’t fit in the album at all really. It isn’t bad perse; it’s just out of the blue. However, it only goes for 2:50, so it’s not like it’s a long and grinding song. Some of the sounds and beats created therein are quite interesting though, as we tread through what reminds me of a dark carnival. Balao De Gas carries over the base from the previous track before moving onto its own, a higher tempo beat with more Brazilian influences obvious. The drumming in particular is a nice change, using traditional Brazilian jazz percussion and constructs. It’s all a bit same same throughout the song though, and I didn’t really love it, but it has its moments. The album ends with Numa Grana, 5 minutes of muffled talking with feedback throughout. Sao Paulo Underground is a nice variation for Maruzek from his Chicago Underground, and I love the comparisons one can attempt to draw with essentially the same base but different influences. It uses afrobeat/latin/Brazilian sounds well, and although the electronics could be used a bit better, it doesn’t mean that they are a detriment to the album. However, there are some moments where it just doesn’t entertain. 7.3/10 – Sauna: Um, Dois, Tres - Afrihouse

03-30-2009, 05:15 AM	#4 (permalink)
Zarko Barely Disheveled Zombie Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 1,196	Khmer – Nils Petter Molvær (1997) GENRES - Jazz, Nujazz, Electronic, World Tracks Khmer – 4:59 Tlon – 7:53 Access/Song of Sand I – 5:51 On Stream – 5:01 Platonic Years – 6:34 Phum – 3:39 Song of Sand II – 6:12 Exit – 2:43 Well Norway just seems to be a bubble of talent at the moment… Nils Petter (Review upcoming) as well as a talented bunch including the likes of Eivind Aarset (Whom I introduced many of you to via the March Birthday competition on the general board), Trumpeter Arve Hendriksen and band Wibutee. All of these mentioned have been pushing some interesting boundaries concerning jazz and electronics especially. Nils Petter offered up one of my favourite albums from the 90’s with the outing ‘Khmer’. Released in 1998, the album is an exploratory experimental amalgamation of raw jazz and various electronic styles, including house, dub and ambient. Molvaer’s distinctive style is beautiful throughout and offers a very interesting contrast to the back beats. The final result is a tasty morsel that should be sampled by anyone with a passing interest in jazz, nujazz, electronica, and music in general. The title track ‘Khmer’ offer quite a bit of variety, reaching through its jazzy focus, as well as its electronic base, to some interesting world music samples. The light plucking of a string instrument, as well as the electronics and electric guitar are used to ‘symbolise’ some foreign aspects. The overall feel of the song is seemingly of Asian origin. This is most likely homage to the origin of the word ‘Khmer’, which was a civilisation near Cambodia which was most prominent in the early part of last millennium. The song is built around an Asian mood without every directly referencing so with instruments. Molvaer’s performance is stellar, initially succumbing to the sombre tone of the early parts of the song before breaking out to add his own touch and flair. It never loses its sombre nature or tone of respect. Throughout the album Movaer displays his ability to convey different emotions though his brass instrument of choice. ‘Tlon’, starts off as a down tempo trip hop piece with Molvaer’s quiet and macabre trumpeting overlaying. Its beauty is in its ability to convey sadness and yet a sense of melancholy in the listener. As the beats increase, much like that of a beating heart, Molvaer’s speed increases along with it to an all out attack. The electronic aspects become more prominent, and yet never detract from the power of Molvaer’s trumpeting, as he pulls out some lovely ‘latinesque’ moments. There is quite an fascinating interruption to both the electronics and trumpeting as Aarset (Who was one of the back up players for the album) has a raw yet satisfying solo. As the song reaches its end, it’s almost a fight between the two styles as to who ‘owns’ the piece. It’s a lovely way to end the song. ‘Access/Song of Sand I’ immediately sets a dark approach, as the song seems deeper in pitch compared to the first two songs. Individual instruments are easier to pick out, trumpeting, drumming, guitarists, other various wind instruments, and the song truly belongs to them. Some marvellous tonal work makes this a true highlight track, as well as Aarset’s interesting and raw work. Molvaer spends a large percentage of the time adding nice depth to the piece but never truly grabs hold of the song himself. The piece is exquisite, and definitely deserves a listen. The next track, ‘On Stream’, offers a more down tempo ‘earthy’ feeling, most akin to the title track. Molvaer’s performance is especially worthy of attention, as his slow and unrefined performance makes the piece truly memorable. He takes centre stage and the song is only better for it. It’s a hard song to describe; everything simply fits in well to add to the overall nature of the song and earthy and worldly feel. The song only gets better as it goes along. ‘Platonic Years’ continues the tempo of the previous track with the instruments; however, the piece has a great input from the electronic side of things. This makes the piece feel more spacey rather than earthy. There are quite a few nice touches here and there, such as the electric guitar picking working in conjunction with the tribal drumming. The occasional sampling of a drop falling into a body of water, and other such samples all add a nice level of depth to the song overall. For the first time on the album Molvaer’s trumpets sound distorted from the electronics, which add an interesting and nice quality to them. The songs pace picks up in the second half, making the piece even more upbeat compared to previous ones. Overall it is quite a pleasant song, and the spacey feeling offers something different to that which has been displayed on the album already, a good change in direction. ‘Phum’ is a minimalist piece on the album, consisting mainly of Molvaer’s playing and some interesting background beats. The piece is once again used to showcase Molvaer, and offers up a clean performance, riddled with interruptions from background sounds and samples, including a foreboding repetitive pair of sticks being banged together, as well as some new string aspects. The nature of the song is quite different from much of the album, as it avoids bombarding you with obvious noises and samples. Quite the dark and almost ‘scary’ track, it is definitely worth checking out in the middle of the album. ‘Song of Sand II’ is a continuation of the first SOS, and it opens with a very interesting use of glitch and Molvaer’s trumpet, almost trying to exasperate the sound of his trumpet while barely blowing any air through it. The piece is quite reminiscent of the first, for obvious reasons, but it is still a quality track. It just depends on how much you want to listen to a similar song again. The backing instruments and electronics are particularly nice and evident after a few songs without that depth. Molvaer also gets a few interesting sounds out of his trumpet, ones I wouldn’t normally expect. ‘Exit’ does what the name suggests. A nice ending to the album, it is minimal and offers just the bare minimum of what made the album special. Not entirely bombarding on the senses, it is a nice down tempo exit after the highs already experienced. As I already mentioned, this was one of my favourite albums of the 90’s. It offers an interesting blend of jazz and electronics and world music, and was certainly a unique experience when I first listened to it. It was one of the first nujazz experiments for me and it is probably still my favourite. The group of musicians is simply brimming with talent, and deserves ample recognition for their performances. TOTAL SCORE 9.2/10 – On Stream - Khmer – Song of Sand I

07-22-2009, 04:40 AM	#6 (permalink)
SATCHMO Al Dente Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 4,847	Man, Zarko, I have been missing out by not baying attention to this thread. Great reviews. Keep it up!

07-22-2009, 06:51 AM	#8 (permalink)
Fruitonica Pale and Wan Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Aus Posts: 917	The Onra review was intriguing, especially coupled with the first two videos. They were seriously catchy. Just to encourage you, I really enjoy this thread even if I don't post much.

07-23-2009, 07:29 AM	#10 (permalink)
Zarko Barely Disheveled Zombie Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 1,196	Faces – Stendeck (2007) GENRES – Electronic, Power Noise Tracks The Day I Saw You Cry For The First Time - 5:15 Beneath Wonderland's Decay - 4:24 Like Falling Crystals - 3:33 Anywhere Out Of This World - 4:50 A Perfect Place To Say Good-Bye - 1:42 Acting Like You Are Not Bleeding - 4:07 Behind Waterfalls - 4:46 The Woman Who Burnt On Her Bed - 5:53 She Watched The Corners Of The Roof And Then She Left - 1:35 Steal Flowers To Make Drugs - 5:25 Nocturnal Manoeuvres Before Dawn - 4:36 The Massacre Of The Black Flying Horses - 3:08 The Porcelain And The Girl I Dreamt About - 1:21 Aura Borealis, The Extraordinary Adventure Of A Boy Against The Infinite Darkness - 3:26 All The Things I Wanted To Tell You But I Didn't - 4:35 Frames And Teardrops - 2:13 Faces (Where Are You Now?) - 4:19 I don’t understand the notion of making song titles ridiculously long. I mean, is your song really special enough to piss me off THAT much? Also, I bloody hate the term ‘IDM’. It’s just a stupid description that doesn’t help identify the music to any degree beyond sounding like dance music for stuck up people. But for lack of better term, Stendeck is my favourite ‘IDM artist’. With his most recent release finding its way into my collection, I thought I may as well go back to this 07 album, which is always ready for a go around in my stereo. The album manages to beautifully encapsulate ambiance with an intense power noise and electronic sound, which is no mean feat. (BTW I will try to move off electronic stuff for the next batch). It is also pretty good due to the fact that from a personal perspective, nothing feels laboured or too long. The songs know there limit (Though 17 tracks may be a bit much). Trust me, everything is better loud. ‘The Day…’ starts from a lull, flat note emerging from the horizon, slight disturbances breaking the clean beat occasionally. The type of power noise the listener will experience is introduced fairly quickly into the album, as the speed of the song slowly increases. It carries a distinct space-y sound, an atmosphere of unknowing and exploration. The beats get whipped out at a nice pace, offset partially by a constant and long drone in the background, and quickly the song has ended, almost feeling as if it had never gotten into its true rhythm. ‘Beneath Wonderland’s Decay’ is a bit more paced in its attack, calmed and collective, a guitar riff creating the basic undertone of the song. The song has a nice dirty/eerie quality to it, representing the ambiance I suggested was present in the introduction. The beats pulsate from the depths, the the intense frequency he chucks on every now and then and be a bitch on the ears. ‘Like Falling Crystals’ picks up the pace a bit, offering a robotic sound to the canvas, before having a cliché ‘ethereal’ break mid song. It’s a nice touch, but it’s done so often. ‘Anywhere Out…’ begins with a downtrodden, almost hip hop beat. It was during this song where I initially truly marveled at the balance Stendeck created. Most would hardly connect something even associated with Power Noise with a solid ambient texture, but on Faces, he really does pull it off greatly. One minute you can be lulled into a dream like state, in the next you can have your foot tapping energetically, without too much changing music-wise. ‘A Perfect…’ is lead by a clean piano solo, with haunting textures floating around the track, in a simple elegant touch, the variation in style is quite different to what else had been offered, but still feels like it slots in perfectly. ‘Acting Like…’ has an interesting transition of beat style. The basic beat doesn’t change much over the course of the early parts of the track, but the synths used elicit various sounds that mix things up a bit, from one extreme to another, before lightening up in a sparse (For this album) solo section. ‘Behind Waterfalls’ has some of the more interesting mixes behind the face of the track, a luminous veil. ‘The Woman…’ follows vein of most of the longer songs, giving a bit of leeway before the base of the song kicks in, in another trip hoppy sound, with a dirty, glitchy sound dominating. The song manages to have the most single layered sections out of all the songs so far, though I do find the ‘punch’ beat to be a bit annoying, the floating pings are pretty solid before it once again kicks into a trip hop groove. The pace and beats entering the second half of the track are marvelous. ‘She Watched…’ is a nice, short, pulsating interlude. ‘Steal Flowers…’ is full of grit and unattached sounds and styles. Nothing quite sounds like its in the right spot, but at the same time, it all works, before having a psychedelic guitar provide the baseline. The song keeps you waiting to take off, never quite reaching its bombastic possibilities, but this doesn’t mean it isn’t a nice track. ‘Nocturnal Manoeuvres…’ reminds me of the dark and mournful songs that are popular in war movies when a protagonist is lying in the middle of the battlefield, dying, with the sounds of war reverberating around him, before it breaks into its key beat. It has some really interesting tones and pitches mixed throughout, and the variation and distortion used is pretty solid throughout. ‘The Massacre…’ uses a whole lot of hollow/echo sounds to kick things out, which get an appealing beat going to create an oppressed atmosphere. It’s almost perfect ‘dark alleyway’ music in its initial stages, and the danger is upon you far too quickly for you to react. ‘The Porcelain…’ is another, almost classical track similar to ‘A Perfect…’. ‘Aura Borealis…’ is another fascinating track, the pulsating sounds a particular highlight early on. ‘All The Things…’ is probably the hardest hitting track from the outset, in regards to both noise and pace, probably making its way into my favourites for that reason (Let alone the awesome beats) before it half lightens to let some instrumentation through. It’s got a pretty different construct to it compared to most of the other tracks on the album, with the violent and coarse beats at their best. ‘Frames And Teardrops’ is another fast paced track with some less harsh beats, using a lot of intense wave sounds. At only roughly 2 minutes, it’s a perfect treat. The album is sent off with the title track, ‘Faces’, offering a reflective and calm look on the last hour, a great send off. Though the individual songs don’t offer the same feeling, the album in it’s entirety can sometimes feel labouring, reaching over an hour, but it is never a bad feeling when a new song comes up. Again, I don’t like the term IDM, and Stendeck can go fuck himself for making such ridiculously long song titles, but the journey is purely awesome. Best ‘IDM’ artist IMO, and one of the better electronic albums released in the last few years. 8.6/10 – The Day I Saw You blah blah blah… – Behind Waterfalls